Instructors / Staff

Click on picture of an instructor to find out more about them.

Pam Hansen

Pam Hansen

Pam has over 25 years in the wellness and fitness arena, and came to yoga after a varied career path in related health disciplines. Pam holds a Bachelor's of Science degree in nursing and began her career as a Wellness Director for older adults at retirement communities in Southern California.

She then parlayed her medical knowledge into the corporate world, where she worked as a sales representative for the pharmaceutical and medical supplies industries. After moving to North Carolina 18 years ago, Pam put her career on hold while raising her family. It was during this time that Pam became enthralled with yoga, martial arts and a holistic lifestyle. Pam obtained her yoga certification through Lizzy Hoffman, and became one of the first 75 people in the world to be certified as a Budokon sensei (instructor)--teaching a fusion of yoga, martial arts and meditation.

Pam continues to deepen her knowledge by exploring many different styles and pathways within the practice of yoga, and passionately brings what she has learned to her students -- both on and off of the mat. Pam is certified as a holistic living coach, has run a small business providing nutritional detoxing programs and healthy meals to clients, and is a true proponent of mind, body and spirit health!

Mary Kennedy

Mary Kennedy

Mary has been immersed in the practice and study of yoga for the past 15 years. Beginning with her first class, she fell in love with the transformation yoga created in her body and mind. She completed her 230 hour teaching certification led by certified Anusara teachers Kelley Gardner, Sarah Faircloth, and Stacy Milner-Collins. She continues to study with several prominent teachers, including Christina Sell, Rod Stryker and Doug Keller. She also studies Ayurveda, a sister science of yoga, and incorporates her understanding of ayurveda into her classes and workshops. Mary teaches workshops, private yoga sessions, and weekly classes. Mary teaches in an encouraging manner which includes an emphasis on alignment with sequencing strategies to help students progress in their individual practices. When not teaching yoga, Mary relishes spending time with her family, pets, and friends. She also enjoys tennis, the mountains, reading, and long walks.

Carole Frey

Carole Frey

Carole's passion for yoga and meditation came from her strong interest in Buddhism. She took a World Religion class her junior year of high school which helped develop her desire to learn more about meditation and yoga. Carole also took two study abroad trips in College to India and Cambodia to further her education on Buddhism. Carole completed her 200 YTT in Pokara, Nepal September 2014. This was the most powerful and wonderful experience of her life, as well as confirming her desire to make yoga a lifestyle. Carole has found so much love, passion, inspiration, balance, and happiness through yoga and wants to share it's beautiful benefits with everyone. She offers challenging classes with all levels of variations and modifications. She teaches from the heart and wants to inspire others to be happy and empowered. Carole encourages everyone to try yoga and discover their true path!

Emily Carper

Emily Carper

I have been studying, practicing, and teaching yoga for over 15 years. I initially came to the practice following an injury, seeking a more holistic approach to healing. It wasn’t long after the injury healed that I began to notice how far reaching the practice of yoga was. It had begun to seep into other aspects of my being. I am most grateful for the depth yoga has given to my spiritual practice. Whether still or in flow, I am deeply aware of Divine Grace. I have had the great fortune to study with many incredible teachers. I am most humbled by the experience of completing my 200 hour Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training with Rolf Gates (author of Meditations from the Mat). Believing there is always more to learn and share, I am currently pursuing my 500 hour Yoga Teacher Training through Asheville Yoga Center.

My intention for the classes I teach is to provide a nurturing space to explore the many aspects of yoga. It is an honor and a privilege to teach. When I am not teaching, I am balancing a full-time career in corporate wellness as a Registered Dietitian and raising a young family. It is with the unending support of my incredible husband and the amazing Melting Point community that I have been able to live a dream of mine. I look forward to meeting you on the mat!

Jasmine Margreno

Jasmine Margreno

Yoga blessed my life in a time in a time when I needed it the most, as I believe it does for all who seek. I embarked on this path after a knee injury ended my long-time competitive gymnastics career. For many years I was broken and soul searching to find something to fill the void. Nothing ever did. After trying various types of fitness, I stumbled upon a little yoga studio in Charlotte, NC. I was immediately hooked! Every time I took a class it felt like my heart grew a little more. I was happy again! After practicing for a few years, I decided that I needed to share this amazing gift of yoga with others. After careful consideration, I signed up for an immersive Teacher Training deep in the jungle of Costa Rica with Frog Lotus International hosted by, Vidya Jacqueline Heisel and Jenilee Toner. There, I received my 200hr Certification and a whole renewed take on life. I came back home to Charlotte, began teaching, and never looked back. Over the past years, I have taught at Suryalila Retreat Center in Southern Spain, received an Art of Assisting Certification from the Baptiste Yoga Institute, and have also been selected as a Brand Ambassador for Clean Juice Bar.

Most recently, I have received my Advanced Teacher Certification with the Pranashama Yoga Institute in Bali, Indonesia. During my time here, I was fortunate enough to learn from such yoga masters as Dashama Konah Gordon (founder of Pranashama) and Rae Indigo. After this training, I was selected to work for Pranashama, assisting in online teacher trainings and have happily been doing so since the start of the year. I am formally trained in Vinyasa, but also incorporate many different lineages into my classes. I am currently registered as E-RYT200, RYT 500 in accordance to the Yoga Alliance. My mission is to spread joy in abundance, inspire people to see the world, and live a happy, healthy authentic lifestyle with love and gratitude, Namaste.

Julie Kruger

Julie Kruger

Like most yogi’s, I came to the mat interested in what the physical practice might offer. As a runner, I hoped it might be a nice compliment for me physically. From the first class, I sensed there was something special in this practice for me. Within a few months, I was exploring practice at a couple studios and registering for teacher training, primarily to grow in my own practice. I found the aspects of yoga beyond the physical really spoke to me as much, if not more, than the physical practice. As a result, I began to view/live life from a different vantage point. I love this journey and began teaching immediately after completing my training. I’m very grateful to join in the process with others as an instructor and enjoy providing support to those who come to the mat for a thing called yoga.

Karen Burkhart

Karen Burkhart

Yoga is a metaphor for life and what we do on our mat transends into our daily lives. That said , I think yoga should be fun. That's not to say it won't be challenging and hopefully encourage you to test and expand your limits. I am a 500-HR yoga instructor with advanced training in yoga therapy with over 10 yrs experience teaching. I began my yoga journey living with pain and anxiety and I credit yoga with helping me become healthy and truly opening my eyes and my heart to a world of positive opportunities. In my group classes I strive to bring a sense of fun, freedom and kindness imparting nuggets of yogic wisdom along the way with a kickass playlist to help deepen your yoga experience, find your rhythm and connect to your truth. In the summer months you can find me on Lake Norman teaching SUP yoga with My Aloha Paddle and Surf. I also work privately with individuals living with chronic pain, anxiety and depression. It's my intention to cultivate happiness and balance though mindful living and hope to inspire students to do the same.

Yoga is a metaphor for life and what we do on our mat transends into our daily lives. That said , I think yoga should be fun. That's not to say it won't be challenging and hopefully encourage you to test and expand your limits. I am a 500-HR yoga instructor with advanced training in yoga therapy with over 10 yrs experience teaching. I began my yoga journey living with pain and anxiety and I credit yoga with helping me become healthy and truly opening my eyes and my heart to a world of positive opportunities. In my group classes I strive to bring a sense of fun, freedom and kindness imparting nuggets of yogic wisdom along the way with a kickass playlist to help deepen your yoga experience, find your rhythm and connect to your truth. In the summer months you can find me on Lake Norman teaching SUP yoga with My Aloha Paddle and Surf. I also work privately with individuals living with chronic pain, anxiety and depression. It's my intention to cultivate happiness and balance though mindful living and hope to inspire students to do the same.

Karen Hallman

Karen Hallman

I love yoga! My yoga practice taught me a better sense of myself, a deeper inner stillness, and an empowerment over my life that I love. When I practice, my body gets stronger and my mind becomes clearer. It’s taught me that I have the opportunity to choose what kind of life I’m going to live and how I’m going to live it. I’ve learned to be still and become more aware of my surroundings and stimulants, and control over what I allow into my life. I’ve learned to use my breath to get me through difficult times as well as exciting times.

My first yoga experience was in 2004 when I was pregnant. I immediately realized the health benefits of yoga and began practicing. I went through teacher training and received my 200 hour certification in 2011. Yoga encompasses things I want in life - mindfulness, presence, joy, simplicity, gratitude, (and chocolate). You can expect a good strengthening practice with humor, opening, playfulness and encouragement with me.

Katharina Bethea

Katharina Bethea

Katharina’s yoga journey began almost 10 years ago with Bikram yoga. The 26 postures helped relieve the aches and pains caused by running and the heat provided a warm retreat from cold Connecticut winters. When Katharina and her husband moved to Minnesota in 2011, she discovered vinyasa yoga at CorePower Yoga and her love for the practice grew. Taking a break from her corporate life, Katharina completed her 200-hour Power Yoga teacher training in November 2013 at CorePower Yoga in St. Paul, MN. Her training continued as she joined Studio One Yoga in Stillwater, MN and taught several classes a week. Katharina loves the transformative and healing power of yoga having witnessed how the practice has improved her outlook on life, her running, and her relationships. Excited to be back home in North Carolina, Katharina is grateful to have the opportunity to teach at Melting Point and looks forward to seeing you on your mat!

Lindsay Robertson

Lindsay Robertson

Lindsay is a “regular” mom, who came back to yoga after years of physical wear and tear to her body through running and various other sports. An admitted anatomy nerd, she became fascinated by the innumerable benefits to her body through her yoga practice, as well as the awesome sense of calm after each class. In teaching, she often refers to her yoga mat as her own personal church service, combined with her own physical therapy. She is most known in the area for her energetic and fun hot power classes, but she enjoys teaching Deep Stretch and Yin as well, for a more balanced approach to the body and mind. Lindsay has completed several intensive trainings under such greats as Sage Rountree (completed Yoga for Athlete’s Certification), Jason Crandell and Leslie Kaminoff, in order to help her gain her Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher status (E-RYT 200) with Yoga Alliance. Her athlete’s training helps her work with each of her clients as they progress in their specific sports training program, or recovery after injuries. After giving up a career in medical sales, Lindsay teaches yoga full time, learning something from her students every day. When Lindsay is not teaching, she can be found spending time laughing with her 2 teenage sons, dogs, husband and friends on Lake Norman or anywhere else outside.

Lisa Moore

Lisa Moore

Lisa took her first Bikram Yoga class in February 2010 and it changed her life forever. Very early on she knew she wanted to become a teacher someday.“Yoga changed my life so quickly and drastically that I wanted to share its mind, body, soul benefits with others in the hopes that this moving and breathing would change their life too.” Lisa transitioned from Bikram to Yoga to the People’s Fire sequence and went to their school in NYC for certification in 2014. She has practiced a few other styles of yoga throughout the years, but it was not until this past year that she found another love of yin yoga and vinyasa yoga. She was certified to teach Yin yoga in October 2014 from Urban Bliss School of Yoga and completed her 200 hr RYT through Urban bliss this year.

Lisa credits yoga with helping her out of a very dark time in her life. “Yoga gave me a new way to look at myself, others and my life. It provided the tools I needed to clear my mind and get to the core of who I really was.”

Lisa believes that yoga is for everyBODY. “No matter your age, fitness or health level there is a style for everyone. Your mind, body soul will grow and as it does you will be able to do more and more. Honor yourself and your body right where it is as it got you to this very moment. Learn to love yourself and then you can begin improving yourself. Hot yoga is a passageway to your true self. Looking in a mirror for 60-90 min in the heat as you breathe and move really tests a person on every level. If you keep showing up you pass the test. As your body changes so do your mind and spirit in the most positive way possible. You find yourself using what you learn inside those four walls and relating it to things outside of those walls. Perception changes. “

Michelle West

Michelle West

I started yoga as a compliment to my running. I only went once a week at first and enjoyed it but was hard to commit to more. Then in 2012 I had the amazing opportunity to move to Hong Kong for a year. This is where I fell in love with yoga and it changed my life for the better….physically and mentally. I got to explore all different types of yoga over in Hong Kong, Hatha, Vinyasa, Yin, Baptiste, and Ashtanga were among my favorites. I would go twice a day just because I loved it so much. I knew when I moved back to the US I wanted to share this gift I had received with others. In early spring of 2014 I went through my teacher training at Melting Point Hot Yoga and received my Yoga Alliance RTY-200 certification. I started out not even knowing what a downward dog was so I know what it’s like to be a beginner, but I get on my mat now everyday and see such a difference in my life. My hope and desire is to share that with others whether they are beginning their yoga journey or continuing on like me. I will constantly continue to take workshops and classes to better myself as a yoga teacher. Besides yoga I love to be outdoors, be with my family and friends and starting to enjoy to cook.

Shannon Wiseman

Shannon Wiseman

Shannon Wiseman's bio will be posted soon.

Tiffany Barnette

Tiffany Barnette

Krista Schoenewolf, Front Desk

Krista Schoenewolf, Front Desk

My name is Krista Schoenewolf. I have been married for 15 years and have 3 children Connor, 14, Ryan 11 and Calista 9. I am originally from NJ but have lived in Charlotte for about 13 years. My background is in fitness management and the pharmaceutical industry but am currently a stay at home mom. My passion has always been running and I am an avid marathoner most recently completing the Boston Marathon in a 3:14 at 43 years old. About two years ago, I discovered yoga and it has been one of the greatest gifts that I have given my mind and body. As a distance runner, I really never saw myself doing yoga but the benefits and transformation of my fitness level has been incredible. I practice about 3-5 days per week and enjoy practicing so much that I asked if I could be a part of the Melting Point team. Currently, I am a studio manager/assistant and absolutely enjoy introducing my joy of yoga to new and current clients each and every day.

Patti Wiley, Front Desk

Patti Wiley, Front Desk

Testimonials

Melting Point Hot Yoga is the perfect balance between strengthening my physical body while centering my mind & spirit. There simply is no other yoga studio for me.

Cindy Carmichael

As a devotee of the noon class, I consider it to be the best money spent all week. The class is straight up one hour, always interesting with routines that never get stale. While being an incredible workout, yielding to all levels of practice. The studio is always clean, and friendly. Melting Point is about yoga, and so much more, for me.

Tammie

Practicing Hot Yoga with this amazing staff is truly changing my life. I have worked out for decades with running, aerobics and weight training but nothing has benefited me more physically and mentally than Hot Yoga. Thank you for teaching me to embrace this wonderful gift. I love it.

Deb K., 60 yrs.old

I have been practicing at Melting Point for more than 4 years. It has been the perfect place to grow and learn. What I love about Melting Point is that it has something for everyone. Whether you are a beginner or more advanced yogi, practicing yoga here is completely comfortable. With its variety of classes as well as instructors, I can get a great workout, quiet my mind, find a spiritual space and feel restored....total balance! Melting Point is warm and welcoming and a fantastic place to develop a yoga practice.

Lisa

Melting Point is a beautiful studio with excellent instructors that will guide you through an energetic and challenging practice. The variety of classes and modifications offered make it the perfect place for both beginner and advanced students.

Shondra

Melting Point is so much more than a yoga studio. While each teacher offers an amazing and unique experience and expertise, they are uniform in the support and guidance with each class. The studio fosters an environment where all are truly welcome regardless of ability and experience.